Manifestos pledge to fight anti-Semitism and support Israel’s security and UK Jews
Jack Mendel is the former Online Editor at the Jewish News.
By Jack Mendel
The three main political parties all incorporated commitments to fighting ant-Semitism, Israel’s security and supporting the UK Jewish community in their elections manifestos published this week.
Commitment to a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians and support for shechita were outlined in the Conservative manifesto.
The party also announced it would robustly defend “the right of Israel to protect its security, while continuing to condemn illegal settlement building, which undermines the prospects for peace”.
Tory pledges also outlined how the party plans to ” protect methods of religious slaughter, such as shechita and halal”.
This stance was echoed by the Labour Party, which named “peace and security in the Middle East” among its key foreign policy objectives, with a commitment to a “comprehensive” two-state solution.
Labour also released its Black and Ethnic Minorities Manifesto this week, in which it outlined a commitment to tackling “the rise of anti-Semitism and Islamophobia”, and “support for the right to practice one’s religion, including protecting traditions such as the humane practice of shechita and halal”.
Coalition partners the Liberal Democrats, meanwhile, outlined support for a “negotiated peace settlement” between Israel and Palestine and condemned “disproportionate force used by all sides”, including “Hamas’ rocket attacks… targeting of Israeli civilians” and “Israel’s continued illegal policy of settlement expansion”.
The party also praised the Community Security Trust for its work protecting the Jewish community, calling for an end to anti-Semitic hate crime. It is also committed to state-funded sector “faith-based schools”, but added it would “ensure all faith schools develop an inclusive admissions policy and end unfair discrimination on grounds of faith”.
The Green Party and UKIP have also released manifestos in the past two days. The Greens called for withdrawal from the EU’s trade deal with Israel, due to “human rights abuses” against Palestinians.
Meanwhile, the UKIP manifesto states: “We can only regain control of animal health and welfare by leaving the EU. Ukip takes both issues seriously and we will insist on formal non-stun training and certification for all religious slaughtermen to ensure the highest standards are adhered to.”
It also outlined a commitment to placing CCTV in abattoirs in addition to labelling for animal products to show the origin and method of production and transportation and if the animal had been stunned or not.
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